A company considering franchising may see exemptions as an ideal way to avoid burdensome registration and disclosure requirements and streamline their path to market. Indeed, exemptions reduce time, avoid the process of…
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/ Commercial Law & Contracts, Franchise Law
As most employers know, under the federal WARN Act a covered employer who plans to close a facility or implement a mass layoff must provide 60 days’ advance notice to the affected employees, the designated state agency, and any…
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/ Labor & Employment Law
Effective July 27, 2025, employers will have to carefully consider whether they should require that employees have a valid driver’s license as a condition of employment. In 2019, Washington State enacted the Equal Protection…
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/ Administrative Law, Labor & Employment Law
The Washington Equal Pay and Opportunities Act (“the Act”) endeavors to prohibit pay discrimination and promote fairness among workers by addressing business practices that may contribute to income disparities between employees…
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/ Administrative Law, Labor & Employment Law
With the seemingly never-ending updates to B2B contracts for compliance with new (and amended) comprehensive state privacy laws, the U.S. Department of Justice’s bulk data transfer rule, and artificial intelligence (AI)…
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/ Finance & Banking, Privacy, Science, Computers, & Technology
Among other legislative changes (see our other recent blog posts!), the Washington State Legislature passed several assorted bills that will affect certain Washington employers, including providing striking workers with limited…
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/ Education Law, Immigration Law, Labor & Employment Law
Religious freedom-based challenges to educational policies and actions have gained significant traction in recent years. Cases like Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, 597 US 507 (2022), concerning a football coach’s right to…
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/ Civil Rights, Constitutional Law, Education Law
What Are Section 232 Investigations? Section 232 investigations are a tool the U.S. government uses to determine the effect of certain imports on national security. These investigations are conducted under the Trade Expansion…
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/ Administrative Law, International Law & Trade
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson signed Senate Bill 5101 into law on May 20, 2025, which will amend Washington’s Domestic Violence Leave Act (DVLA) to include job protections for employees who seek certain types of assistance…
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/ Civil Rights, Criminal Law, Labor & Employment Law
Oregon’s automatic minimum wage for non-exempt employees is set to increase on July 1, 2025. This minimum wage increase is calculated by the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries’ (BOLI) Labor Commissioner. In April, the Labor…
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/ Administrative Law, Labor & Employment Law
On May 29, 2025, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) hosted a virtual public workshop to discuss its progress in implementing California’s sweeping new climate disclosure laws. California Senate Bills (SB) 253, 261, and…
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/ Administrative Law, Business Organizations, Environmental Law
On May 17, 2025, Washington Governor Bob Ferguson signed House Bill 1213, which both expands worker protections relating to Washington’s Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program (PFML) and allows an employer to limit an…
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/ Administrative Law, Health, Labor & Employment Law
Washington’s construction lien statute makes clear that all lien foreclosure actions arising out of the same project should be joined into a single lawsuit. Filing a motion to intervene in a pending foreclosure lawsuit will also…
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/ Civil Procedure, Construction Law
If you’re an owner or general contractor on a construction project in Oregon, a new law passed just last week may make you liable to pay the wages and benefits of construction workers—twice. Senate Bill 426 significantly changes…
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/ Commercial Law & Contracts, Construction Law, Labor & Employment Law
Effective July 27, 2025, Washington House Bill 1875 will expand the qualifying reasons for which an employee may use their accrued and available state-mandated paid sick leave to include time off for an employee to prepare for…
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/ Administrative Law, Immigration Law, Labor & Employment Law
